Pioneers Varsity Soccer: My Site News

The end of the season tournament erases all previous accomplishments and hits the reset button for every high school.  Our team is no different.  Our record thus far is extraordinary in my opinion: 14-5-1 is fantastic.  We added two more trophies to our collection.  We are on the brink of establishing some individual records and have already set a new career record for clean sheets. 

Our first opponent is Gladwin.  We have beaten them twice already this year, 4-1 and 3-1.  If I'm their coach, I am telling them that a win against us in the first round of districts is bigger than the previous two losses; and that would be correct.

The match against Gladwin went well.  They knew the challenge which layed ahead of them but were unable to stop us.  They had some chances, however, which could have turned the tide and momentum.  They are a team which does very well defending and countering. 

What a drag!  To lose in penalty shots means that we took a team which was earlier this year ranked in the state to penalty shots.  We had some fantastic chances that we nearly converted.  Last season we took another state-ranked team to its limits.  I think it's safe to say that our mission for respectability has been accomplished.  The Clare Pioneers have, in my not-so-humble opinion, established itself as a team to be taken seriously if not feared.

Three years in a row (four times in the past five years) we have positioned ourselves at the top of the Southern Division of the Northern Michigan Soccer League.  It has been a road of weekly improvement.  Every match the play has improved in every aspect. 

Aside from how well you are able to execute, there is an intangible factor below the surface of everything you do.  More than ever, this team has one another's back on the pitch.  There is a sense of unity; you have been teammates and friends for a long time and it shows.

In the coming weeks, we have opportunities to etch into the fabric of CHS history a new sense of accomplishment.  We can set a standard for which future teams will work to attain.  One match at a time.

Tuesday we hosted Gladwin in a rematch with an improved team.  They made some positional changes and plyed with improved passion.  None of this mattered, however, because all of this can be said about us as well.  We scored enough goals to give our defense a little less pressure.  Our midfielders played with a committment to defense and passing to create chances. 

Thursday's match against Houghton Lake will be filed into my memory banks as one of my favorite wins.  We played in a sporadic torrential rain.  We played respectfully in the face of a hostile crowd.  You were brilliant in your execution of futbol.  "Ole's" were ringing in my head as you played.

We are one conference win away from a rematch against Burt Lake.  A rematch from last season as well as from this season.  It will be a rough road to get there.  It will be a rough challenge once we arrive.  This voyage is not the destination either - District play is on the horizon.  There are only a few weeks left to make everything for which we worked so hard come to bear.   

We had just the one game this week, but it couldn't have been any more important.  With the win we remain atop the Southern Division of our conference.  With the win, we extend our unbeaten streak to 11.  If we had lost, both would have been gone. 

Defensively, we were stellar again.  We kept the balls to the outside.  We cleared the front of our goal area.  Offensively we didn't create many chances, but we didn't have to.  I will take 22% shooting. Bryce was solid in goal, saving 11 out of 12 shots on goal.  He also made 4 saves on through balls and crosses which could have been trouble if he hadn't been there for us.

Next week we rematch against Gladwin Tuesday and Houghton Lake Thursday.  Both of these teams are dangerous.  We cannot afford to take any team lightly. 

Adding our school's first soccer tournament championship to our trophy case is something you will always remember. I am sure the significance of what you accomplished will become more and more evident as the years pass and you talk about old times with your mates. 

Our unbeaten streak is now at 10.  I could retire right now and be happy, but our season isn't done yet.  There are more matches to win and more trophies for which to battle.  This week we defeated Houghton Lake, Pine River, Saginaw Nouvel, and Bay City John Glenn.  Although we drew with Gaylord, anyone who watched the match recognized us as the better team.  Our tactics were solid, our execution was solid, and our heart was supreme.

 Next week we have just the one match against McBain NMC.  This is a crucial confrence contest.  Our position at the top of the Southern Division is precarious at best.  Our destiny still remains in our hands; keep winning.

We ended the week with an inspirational win over Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central, 4-0.  We knew coming into this week that we had a rough road, but it was a road we were prepared to travel.  Gladwin, Big Rapids, and Roscommon. 

Monday during the viewing of our Thursday match we met Alex and Ori.  There was a buzz in the air, but we had to see how they could play.  With no time to work with our system we put them into the game as late substitutions Tuesday in Gladwin.  By Wednesday they were in the starting lineup.  We were already a good team, and we became an even better team.  Our strength was the depth of our bench and we became even deeper.  It is like when you are Manchester United and you bring Wayne Rooney off your bench.  That's a strong squad.

This week we extended our win streak to five.  We put ourselves into the number one spot in the Southern Division.  We look ahead next week and we face Houghton Lake and Pine River.  Houghton Lake is 2-2 and could close the gap on us; we must win.  Pine River is a team hungry for a victory; we must win. We now control our destiny.  We keep winning, we can't be unseated.  We have only Southern Division teams to play, and if we win them all we can't be usurped. 

Hard work and disciplined play is resulting in quality results.  We won both our matches this week, which is good.  Forest Area took us once again into overtime, but this time the extra time worked to our advantage.  Saginaw Nouvel came to town and we played very well in earning the 4-0 clean sheet victory.

We have found ways to score from multiple attacks.  Our finishing is near 14% but I would like it to reach 20%.  That would mean we score a goal every five shots.  Bryce earned his first clean sheet of the season. 

There are still, and always will be, things to fine tune.  Keep the positive attitude while we further develop our game.  Big picture is solid, just a matter of some individual adjustments.

Next week is going to be tough.  Tuesday we travel to Gladwin.  Wednesday we host Big Rapids.  Friday it's on to Roscommon.  Let's do what we can to keep the streak alive.